The scholarship of teaching and learning, or SoTL, is research-based inquiry by disciplinary experts at the post-secondary level who seek to understand or improve student learning, and the teaching practices that facilitate that learning.
Through a series of discussion-based sessions focused on brief foundational SoTL readings,* a workshop, and a final plan, participants in this graduate student** program will learn about scholarly, evidence-based approaches to student learning and to their own teaching.
Developed by Kim Grant (Werklund School of Education, former editorial manager of Teaching & Learning Inquiry), the SoTL Foundations Program for Graduate Students aims to help articipants learn to
- describe SoTL as a field and as a practice, emphasizing its key concepts, questions, and scholars,
- use SoTL to begin asking meaningful questions about their own disciplinary teaching and learning experiences, and
- develop a basic SoTL plan by identifying a meaningful question and appropriate methods for answering it.
Graduate students who complete this one-semester Program will be prepared to support, collaborate on, and/or conduct SoTL projects (e.g., as co-applicants or RAs on University of Calgary Teaching and Learning Grants).
Criteria for Completion
To complete the SoTL Foundations Program, participants must complete the following sequence within one semester:***
| Activity Sequence | Dates |
|
1. prepare for and participate in any four of the scheduled reading discussion group sessions. (Through the registration system, participants will be supplied with a journal article or book chapter prior to each session.) |
Fall 2016 Cohort: Sept 19 (11:30-1:00pm), Oct 4 (1:00-2:30pm), Oct 19 (11:30-1:00pm), Nov 8 (1:00-2:30pm), Nov 28 (11:30-1:00pm), Dec 12 (11:30-1:00pm) Winter 2017 Cohort: Jan 23 (12-1:30), Feb 7 (1-2:30), Feb 27 (12-1:30), Mar 15 (2-3:30), Mar 27 (1-2:30), and Apr 11 (11:30-1) |
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2. participate in a SoTL workshop at the Taylor Institute, and |
Fall 2016 Cohort: “Engaging in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: SoTL Foundations for Graduate Students” (Dec 5, 1-3pm), OR “SoTL Project Development: A Three-Part Workshop” (Nov 23, 1-4pm; Nov 30, 1-4pm; light reading & planning in between the 2 sessions) Winter 2017 Cohort: “Engaging in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: SoTL Foundations for Graduate Students” (March 30, 10am-noon), OR “SoTL Project Development: A Three-Part Workshop” (April 4, 1-4pm; April 18, 1-4pm; light reading & planning in between the 2 sessions) |
| 3. develop a blog, vlog, or screencast to post on the Taylor Institute's Online Teaching Community or The SoTL Guide outlining a brief plan for a SoTL project with an explanation for how it draws upon the readings and discussion groups attended. |
Fall 2016 Cohort: Due December 22 Winter 2017 Cohort: Due TBA |
Those who complete the Foundations in SoTL Program will receive both a digital badge and certificate of completion issued by the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning. The digital badge may be displayed on online portfolios, on social media such as Twitter and LinkedIn, and elsewhere, and the certificate may be framed or included in physical portfolios.
Click here for a printable document about the Program.
* Through the registration system, participants will be supplied with a journal article or book chapter prior to each session.
** Although this program is designed for graduate students, we will consider undergraduate students on a case-by-case basis. Please contact Program Lead Kim Grant (grantka@ucalgary.ca) with any requests.
*** Questions regarding the requirements and timing of the SoTL Foundations Program completion may be directed to Kim Grant (grantka@ucalgary.ca)
